Greetings from Cochabamba,

Wow... The holidays have come and gone so quickly here in Bolivia! There is a lot to cover in our January newsletter, so here we go :)

First off, before summer vacations got into full swing, Becky and Mark Teiwes joined us as volunteers to lend their talents to our staff and children.

Then, our Christmas celebration with the kids was wonderful. We were all blessed to celebrate with them, as they shared plays and dances to honor this very magical, special time of year, and as they excitedly opened their gifts with wonder and amazement.

At the beginning of January, a team from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire came down to complete a couple work projects and spend time with the children at both homes. They not only made improvements to the houses, but also enriched the lives of the kids - thank you Plymouth State Team!

We ended the month with celebrations and surprises! Our 5th annual Moda Loca (crazy fashion show) was a blast! All the kids attended this year, including the boys for the first time ever, and the costumes were so wacky and extravagant.

Finally, and sadly, Tía Kimber is heading back to the States for a year - we will miss her greatly here in Cochabamba!

We have more great news to share about Peadcito de Cielo...but you will have to read below to find out!

Peace and Love,

Mark and Becky Teiwes, parishioners of one of our supporting communities, Christ the Redeemer Church in Danvers, MA, arrived in December. Now, we regret that they will be leaving in less than two weeks. They have been helping at the homes, and the kids have all really taken a liking to them. Mark has been using his photography talents to capture daily life and special moments. We will be letting you know where you can see his photos in the future. Becky, who is a part of the Bolivian Task Force at Christ the Redeemer, a committee that helped get NCV off the ground when we were just starting out 6 years ago, has been sending updates and photos to share with other parishioners. Their dedication and excitement will definitely be missed.

Above: Mark and Becky enjoying play time outside with a group of the girls.

Banner Image: The kids from Pedacito reenacting the story of Jesus' birth.

Christmas is always a very special time of year for the children as they learn about the important lessons Jesus taught us, and seek to honor his birth, life, and death. This year the boys of Pedacito, along with the little girls, reenacted the nativity. They did a wonderful job, and sang about the importance of Jesus in each of our lives.

The younger girls of Corazón danced, telling the story of kittens and a doll on Christmas day. Then, a group of the older girls demonstrated a Bolivian dance that is traditionally performed in celebration and honor the holiday season. Both groups did such an amazing job!

Above Left: Nohemi getting ready to dance.
Above Right: Zamora is too cute as a kitty!

Above: A group of the older girls that danced a traditional Bolivian Christmas dance.

The best part of the afternoon for many of us was watching the kids open their presents! They were extremely excited, and we had a blast seeing the joy in their faces as they received their gifts.

Above Left: Lucas was so excited to open his presents...
Above Right: And Raeka was so surprised with her gifts!

Above Left: Bryssa loves her new doll.
Above Right: Cynthia was in awe of this huge Justin Beiber poster!

Banner Image: The Amizade team set up our third floor play area for the littlest girls, including touching up this fun wall originally painteg by a team from Living Waters in Canada — it looks amazing!

In the beginning of January, a team from Plymouth State University, NH, arrived to volunteer with NCV through the Amizade Volunteer Program. At Corazón del Pastor, they organized, painted, and set-up a third floor play area for the youngest girls, and planted a vertical garden where the girls and the tías are tending to spinach and kale, mustard greens and swiss chard. The team also helped out at Pedacito doing a variety of activities with the kids.

Above Left: The team and a few of the girls working on the vertical garden.
Above Right: The finished vertical garden—and it's already growing!

Above Left: Sam playing ball with Bryssa.
Above Right: The group weeding the garden at Pedacito de Cielo.

Above Left: Michelle and Alarico having fun playing with mirrors.
Above Right: Nate helping Lucas do flips and turns!

Above Left: Josh and Mateo doing a puzzle.
Above Right: Kate doing art with Zamora and Victoria at Corazon.

Above Left: Michelle and Kattia looking and talking about postcards of New Hampshire.
Above Right: Cheryl talking with Paty and Nohemi during snack time.

Last Saturday, we hosted our annual Moda Loca - a crazy, wacky fashion show we hold every year to end summer vacation and usher in an new school year. This time around, the boys participated and did a wonderful job dressing up and walking down the runway. The costumes were brilliant and kooky, and all who participated had tons of fun - especially at the dance party after the show!

Above Left: Sisters, Sofia and Adriana, are ready for the show to start!
Above Right: Katrina in all stripes.

Above Left: Mariela walking down the runway with style.
Above Right: Manolo extremely excited to participate in the show!

Above Left: Tía Maritza and Alandra enjoying the show.
Above Right: Our little sailor, Lucas.

Above Left: Tía Andrea and Zaquiel excited about the festivities.
Above Right: Twins, Jhoselin and Johana, all dressed up and ready to party!

Tía Kimber will be leaving Bolivia for about a year to get some health questions answered. While in the States, she will be helping to fundraise and create awareness about the work of Niños con Valor, keeping the foundation growing and expanding internationally. She will be missed by the staff and by the kids, and we will be praying for her health and for a very safe trip home.

Above: Tía Kimber and the girls of Corazón del Pastor after her goodbye lunch.

We are so excited to share with you that Miguel has been assigned an adoptive family, and is now living with his parents after a few weeks of visits. Miguel is definitely excited about this new stage, but we wouldn't be telling the full truth if we didn't admint that it is sad to see him go. Last week, we had a goodbye party to explain to the other boys that Miguel would be leaving. We are so excited about this new stage in Miguel's life, and pray for love, happiness, and beautiful, new memories.

Last Friday, we received two brothers, Eneas and Alvaro, who are now part of our NCV family. They are both having a hard adjustment period, yet little by little are getting accustomed to life at Pedacito. Little Alvaro has spent some of his first days with us in hospital, where we learned he has a degree of brain injury, whether congenital or from trauma we are not yet sure, which requires additional support. Once we have more details we will be seeking out specialist support, so if you would like to donate towards his care, you can do so online by giving to "Pedacito de Cielo" here.

Above Left: Older brother, Eneas, is slowly becoming accustomed to living in Pedacito.
Above Right: Alvaro napping after we picked the brothers up.

With the holidays, time has really flown by! The kids are getting ready to head back to school on Monday and the staff is busy with last minute vacation activities. However, despite the present chaos, we have truly valued the special celebrations we have shared as a family, like Christmas and Moda Loca, and we find ourselves blessed when we receive new children, and when a child like Miguel becomes part of another family. Thank YOU for being a part of our family :)

Love and Peace from the kids, the staff, and the volunteers of Niños con Valor!